Wednesday, August 29, 2012

This diner classic may not look healthy, but it's made with
a mixture of lean ground beef and finely chopped Portobello mushrooms. You'll
get all of the flavour with less fat!

This diner classic gets a makeover by replacing some of the
ground beef with finely chopped Portobello mushrooms, which add moisture and
flavour. We like a smear of pickle relish on top, but you could try chutney,
mustard or hot pepper relish in its place.

1.Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat
broiler. Line a broiler pan with foil.

2.Gently mix beef, mushrooms, breadcrumbs,
Worcestershire, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Shape
into 4 patties and place on the prepared pan. Broil until cooked through, 4 to
6 minutes per side.

3.Meanwhile, toast bread. Rub each slice of toast
with garlic.

4.Place 1 patty on each piece of toast, top each
with 2 teaspoons relish and cover with a slice of cheese. Remove foil and place
the sandwiches on the pan; broil until the cheese is just melted, 30 to 60
seconds.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

These oval meatballs on a stick are both totally fun for
kids to eat and incredibly delicious. Don't assume that only children will go
nuts for these, because once adults get a taste, they'll want a share, too. If
you like, serve with a dish of warm marinara or pizza sauce for dipping.

Ingredients:

·1 pound ground beef

·Olive oil

·12 bamboo skewers

·1/4 cup grated Parmesan

·1/2 cup breadcrumbs

·1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

·1 egg, lightly beaten

·1/4 cup milk

·6 mozzarella string-cheese sticks

·1 small yellow onion

Preparation:

1.Soak the skewers in lukewarm water for 20
minutes while you prepare the meatballs, and preheat a gas grill (or burn down
the coals) to medium heat.

2.Put the breadcrumbs, egg and milk in a bowl and
stir. Let soak for 5 minutes to allow breadcrumbs to absorb the liquid, and
then add beef, onion, Parmesan and Italian seasoning. Mix well to combine.
(This job is easier when you use your clean hands.

3.Cut each cheese stick in half so that you have
12 short pieces. Carefully thread each piece lengthwise onto the tip of a
skewer, pushing it down gently so that you have about 1 inch of skewer showing
at the tip. (Don’t push too hard or fast or the cheese sticks might break into
strings.)

4.Carefully mold 2 to 3 tablespoons of the meat
mixture around piece of cheese to make an elongated, oval meatball. Try to
cover the cheese completely, but don’t make your meatball too thick.

5.Grill over direct heat for about 10 minutes,
turning several times to prevent charring.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Love your lasagna with lots of meat? This recipe, made with
ground beef and pancetta (Italian bacon), will hit the spot.

Ingredients:

·1 lb. ground beef round

·1 tbsp. olive oil

·1/4 cup all-purpose flour

·1 large onion, chopped

·2 1/4 cups whole milk

·2 celery ribs, chopped

·3/4 cup ricotta

·1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

·freshly ground black pepper

·2 oz. pancetta, diced

·1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

·8 oz. (12 sheets) no-boil lasagna

·1 14.5 oz. (411 g) can chopped tomatoes with
their juices

·1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

·1 tsp. dried oregano

·1/3 cup hearty red wine

·4 tbsp. butter

Preparation:

1.To make the ragu sauce, heat the oil in a large
saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and pancetta and cook
for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon,
about 10 minutes, until browned.

2.Add the tomatoes with their juices, the wine,
and the oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for at least
40 minutes and up to 2 1/2 hours.

3.Meanwhile, make the white sauce. Melt the butter
in a saucepan over low heat, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Whisk
in the milk. Cook, whisking often, until the sauce boils. Stir in the ricotta
cheese and season with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat.

4.Preheat the oven to 375F. Oil a large
rectangular (9 x 13 in) baking dish and spread 1/4 cup of the white sauce on
the bottom. Arrange 3 lasagna sheets in the dish and top with one third of the
ragu and 1/2 cup of the white sauce. Repeat layers twice more. Top with 3
lasagna sheets, the remaining white sauce, and the Parmesan cheese.

5.Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden and
bubbling. Let stand 10 minutes, then serve hot.

4.While sauce cooks, cook pasta according to
package directions, reducing the cooking time by two minutes. Drain pasta, and
rinse with cold water. Transfer macaroni to pot of sauce, and stir. Adjust salt
and pepper, and cook everything together until flavors combine, about 10 more
minutes.

1.In a bowl, combine meat with Worcestershire,
salt, pepper and herbs. Divide the mixture into 4 portions then form each
portion into patties, making them thinner at the center for even cooking.
Drizzle burgers with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

2.Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook burgers 10 minutes for medium-rare and up to 16 minutes for medium-well,
turning them once halfway through.

3.Meanwhile, in a saucepan heat 1 tablespoon olive
oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook 7-8
minutes. Add onions and garlic, and cook 7-8 minutes more, until tender. Season
with salt and pepper, stir in flour, cook 1 minute then stir in wine and stock.
Bring to a bubble, reduce heat and let thicken. Stir in sour cream and turn off
heat.

To serve, set burger on plate then spoon the Stroganoff
sauce down over top. Sprinkle parsley on
top.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

These easy meatloaf muffins took less time to bake in the
oven than the traditional method of baking in a loaf pan or cast iron skillet.

Ingredients:

·1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef

·3/4 cup crushed crackers

·1 packet instant onion soup mix

·1 egg

·3/4 cup water

·1/3 cup ketchup

Preparation:

1.HEAT the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) degrees.

2.Place 12-15 saltine crackers in a one cup food
processor and pulse into rough crumbs.

3.Place the meat, onion soup mix, cracker crumbs, egg,
water and ketchup in a large mixing bowl. Mix well with hands, but try not to
mash the meat together.

VERY
IMPORTANT FOR EASY CLEAN UP LATER:Grease the muffin pan.

4.Fill each muffin cup with about 1/2 cup of the
meat mixture. Do not pack it down, but gently press the top flat.

5.Add an extra dollop of ketchup to the tops and
spread it evenly with the back of a spoon.

6.BAKE for 30-40 minutes, until meatloaf muffins
pull away from the sides. While the muffins are baking, you'll have plenty of
time to make home cooked mashed potatoes. Transfer hot meatloaf muffins to a
large serving bowl and you're ready to eat!